Excessive or deficient myofibroblast activity is associated with many diseases and biological and medical processes. Such diseases include those shown in Table 1*.
Tissue or OrganActivation/ProliferationDeletion or DamageSkinGranulation tissueScleroderma; keloid; Dupuytren's contracture(72, 213, 224); psoriasis (63)PericyteAtherosclerosis and restenosis (149, 159);Microancurysms, edema,hypertension (208)and hemorrhage (26, 239)MouthPeriodontal ligamentPeriodontal disease (136, 214)GingivalGingival hypertrophy secondary to drugsmyofibroblasts(cyclosporine and Dilantin)(135, 136, 212, 214,216)EyeOrbital fibroblastExophthalmos (proptosis) of Grave's disease(9, 221, 254)RetinalProliferative vitreoretinopathy (253)myofibroblastAnterior capsule ofAnterior capsular cataract (172, 217)Diabetic microaneurysmlens(26, 142, 239)CornealCorneal scarring (184)myofibroblastHeart and pericardiumMyocardial fibrosis, atherosclerosis, andcoronary artery restenosis (35, 149, 159. 258)KidneyMesangial cellProliferative and sclerosing glomerulonephritisAbsence of glomerular(108, 184, 239)structure (141, 234)Interstitial cellRenal tubulointerstitial fibrosis (171, 177, 198,239)LiverPerisinusoidalFibrosis and cirrhosis (72, 88, 150)stellate (Ito cell)Ischemia reperfusion injury of hepatictransplantation (206)Necrotizing hepatitis (62)PancreasPeriacinal stellatePancreatic fibrosis (4, 8)cellLungInterstitial contractilePulmonary interstitial fibrosis, idiopathic andEmphysema (25)celldrug-induced; sarcoidosis (105, 209, 214)Stomach and intestineAbnormal intestinalInterstitial cell ofmotility; hypertrophicCajalpyloric stenosis;Hirschsprung's disease;SubepithelialCollagenous colitis; villous atrophy and cryptmegacolon of piebaldism;myofibroblasthyperplasia; fibrosis of Crohn's disease (2, 86,idiopathic pseudo-114, 131, 153)obstruction (33, 52, 115,Healing gastric ulcer183, 212, 243, 248, 249)BrainAstrocyteProduce glial scar tissue (166)Human immunodeficiencyvirus-associated cognitivemotor disease; spongiformencephalopathy (166)BreastStromalFibrocystic disease; desmoplastic reaction tomyofibroblastbreast cancer (73, 214)Bone marrowStromalFibrosis in myelodysplasia and neoplasticAplastic anemia (182, 218)myofibroblastdiseases (182, 218)JointSynoviocyteRheumatoid pannus formation (11)*See Table 5 of Powell, et al., Myofibroblasts. I. Paracrine cells important in health and disease. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol Jul. 1, 1999 vol. 277 no 1 C1-C19, references shown in this table refers to the articles cited in Powell, et al.
Thus far, there are no effective ways of treating or ameliorating many of the conditions associated with excessive or deficient myofibroblast activities.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and compositions for modulating myofibroblast activity.
The embodiments below address the above identified issues and needs.